Thursday
SQA and Open University smooth the way to higher education
New agreement aims to widen access to degree-level study, and the SQA says that schools will be closely involved
Sats 2023: Slow progress in reading and writing after Covid
Attainment at KS1 has risen slightly year-on-year but still remains far below pre-pandemic levels, new DfE figures show
Phonics attainment up but still below pre-pandemic levels
The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the KS1 phonics check has increased since last year but is still below levels achieved in 2019
Thursday
Sunak’s A-level plan drawn up on ‘back of envelope’
Shadow schools minister Catherine McKinnell accuses Rishi Sunak of announcing a ‘back-of-the-envelope policy’ while school roofs are ‘literally propped up’
End P1 SNSAs, says primary leaders’ body
Primary headteachers say P1 literacy and numeracy standardised assessments are ‘time consuming and onerous’, and interfere with play-based approaches
Weekly round-up: Teacher burnout and replacing A levels
This week’s essential education news includes a warning that teaching is becoming a ‘military tour of duty’, Sunak’s plan for a new qualification and worries about MAT finances
Pandemic catch-up must focus on those in need
New NFER research tracking young pupils’ outcomes since the pandemic shows a clear need for schools to target catch-up efforts at the two groups hit hardest
Wednesday
Advanced British Standard: everything you need to know
What exactly would the new Advanced British Standard entail, how much would it cost and will it ever actually happen?
Gibb’s defence of knowledge-rich learning
Schools minister pens explanation of why he thinks knowledge-rich learning is so important as part of the government’s Advanced British Standard plan
